Numerous processed grain products, including breads, crackers, snack foods, and the like are available. Grain products comprising principally corn, including corn chips, tortilla chips, tortillas, and other snack foods have been successfully marketed. Tortilla chips are distinguished from corn chips in that tortilla chips are baked and then fried, while corn chips are fried and have a higher oil content. Tortilla chips may be produced by cooking and steeping whole kernel, raw corn in water, then grinding it to produce masa dough having a relatively high moisture content, and rolling or pressing the masa dough to form desired shapes. The processed corn is finally baked and/or fried and seasoned to provide a crunchy tortilla chip. Many commercial producers use premade masa flour and mix it with a liquid to form masa dough rather than cooking and grinding whole kernel corn to produce masa dough directly from whole grains.
Although existing tortilla chips are commercially successful, they lack substantial nutritional value. The corn flavor of some corn chip products is disguised by heavy application of seasonings. Moreover, many commercial corn chips lack substantial texture.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide tortilla chips having improved, intensified flavor and natural sweetness without resorting to added seasonings, and enhanced nutritional values.